Tuesday, September 4, 2007

News is (obviously) not reporting on some murders

Well, I have three murders that supopsedly happened, but which have NOT been reported on by any news outlets. The most recent:

A few guests on this site left comments reporting that a man had been shot to death as he exited a taxi at Taylor and O'Farrell streets in the Tenderloin, on the night of September 2nd, just before Monday. Apparently dozens of people witnessed the police and medical examiner photograph and remove the body. And what news do we have? SFgate: none. Cbs5: none. KTVU: none.

Maybe the San Francisco daily reported it, but I unfortunately haven't been able to get one today. It's sad that the best newspaper in this city is a free daily paper. I just wish the SF Daily could get a website up and going...

Anyways, the other two murders I have heard of, but which have not been reported:

- A male victim was reportedly shot in the head and run over with a car, at Webster Street and Golden Gate Ave., at 9:00 am, in the Western Addition. Apparently many people in the neighborhood were talking about this(08/31)

- A man was reportedly shot in the face at 24th and York Streets, in the Mission, after which he got in his car, drove a block, crashed, and according to witnesses, died. (sometime in mid to late-July)

So...anyone know anymore about these incidents?

10 comments:

Anonymous
said...

I was in the Hotel Monico nearby that evening. We heard the shot and then could see the person on the ground when EMTs arrived. Later I saw that they had put a blanket over the body.

so, is 80 the current OFFICIAL count as of the time of my post, whether or not reported on the news?Aren't there two or three suspicious deaths that still could be considered homicides, or were those already verified? Not that I'm hoping so, mind you-- Oakland had it's 92nd early this morning by some guy who thinks it's okay to get gas at 1 AM. I sure as hell wouldn't at that hour...in any city! Anyway, he was fatally shot in his car, in west Oakland, on MacArthur.

I found it extremely strange that no one had any knowledge of this incident. We were shocked to arrive upon this particular scene (prior to the EMT's arriving) in front of the Hilton. I have a child who has never been exposed to a crime, much less a murder. We asked the front desk at the Serrano if they heard anything. My feeling was they don't want the negative publicity about a shooting in the vicinity of their facility, nor the Hilton, for that matter.

We chose to visit SF just to get away for the weekend. Everyone says it's a great city. However, it is a large city, with all the negative activity a city embraces. I had no idea the crime there is so bad. Among other obvious "city" reasons, we probably will never return. It's just not safe.

I also came across the scene Sunday night and have been searching the news for information about what happened. I am shocked that I can't find anything. This is the first and hopefully last dead body I come across. Another web site (www.nowpublic.com)is reporting it as someone jumping. I don't believe that because I encountered a number of people standing around the scene that claimed to hear the gunshot. I am having a difficult time comming to terms with the idea that someone lost their life in front of the Hilton and there is no media coverage.

What about the gunshot? So let me get this straight...a taxi drove by, and an OD victim was chucked out the door in front of the Hilton, and right when it happened, many people claim to have heard a gunshot? This is interesting......

I was staying at the Serrano hotel and me and my friends walked right by the Hilton at 1:36am. We saw fire trucks filling up their hoses from a fire hydrant and people hosing down the surrounding streets. We didn't think anything of it at the time, but the next day, the rumor was that someone jumped from the Hilton and landed on top of a taxi. I've been trying to find out what really happened but have had no luck.

98. Cythia Sareen Weaver, 46, killed after falling from her bathroom window while trying to escape her abusive boyfriend, 24th and Folsom Streets, 11:00 p.m., the Mission. She fell on 10/03. (died on 10/20)

97. Jonisha Tucker, 16, hit in the head with a stray bullet, Hollister Avenue and Third Street, 7:37 p.m., Hunters Point., 10/14. (died on 10/16)

79. Giovanni Lechado, 28, shot along with his wife, inside a car at 18th and Bryant Streets, 6:30 p.m., the Mission, 09/04. Their 4 month-old child was in the car when they were shot. Died at SFGH, 11:40 a.m. (09/05)

*54. Paul Lenz, 41, beaten and strangled, body found at Ocean Beach, 4:00 a.m., 01/15. (Declared a homicide 06/13) *Ocean Beach is under jurisdiction of the US Park Police, so Lenz's murder is not being counted by the SFPD in their total, even though he was killed in San Francisco.

18. Liri Lesku, 34, shot while sleeping in house at 407 Kansas Street, on 02/13, at 2:30 p.m. in potrero Hill. Another woman was critically injured, and a man paralyzed in the shooting. (died at SFGH on 02/26)

11. James Gibson, 29, shot to death on the 100 block of Loehr Street, 1:30 a.m., Visitacion Valley. (02/03)

* 10. Leonard Milo Hoskins, 49, bludgeoned in his home with a peice of lumber, 60 Lamartine Street, Mission Terrace, on December 22nd. His body was not found until February 1st. * The SFPD is counting this towards 2008's total, even though the man was killed in 2007. (02/01)

2008 Justifiable Homicides

1. Leonard Michael Cole, a 55-year old homeless man, shot and killed after lunging at police officers with a knife, Greenwich and Polk Streets. (01/27)

2008 Suspicious Deaths

1. Marcos Baas-Chi, 26, killed after falling from an apartment window on the 300 block of Eddy Street, 10 p.m., the Tenderloin. (03/18)

2007 Homicide Victims (Final SFPD count: 99 Final FBI count: 100)

104. Albert Collins, 30, shot to death while sheilding his 9 year-old daughter from bullets in drive-by at Brookdale and Santos Avenues in Visitacion Valley. 3 others including his daughter were injured. (12/31)

103. Leonard Milo Hoskins, 49, bludgeoned in his home with a peice of lumber, 60 Lamartine Street, Mission Terrace. His body was not found until February. (12/23)

102. Dewayne Larry, 24, shot to death on the 100 block of Kiska Road, Hunters Point (12/17)

* 82. John Daniel Schirra, 22, found dead 2600 block of San Jose Avenue, Lakeview (09/03) *Not counted by the SFPD, who regard his death as "accidental." The Medical Examiner found trace amounts of LSD in his system, and the police believe that he was high and then stripped down, neatly folded his clothes, went outside, stabbed himself multiple times, fell and hit his head, and then knocked on doors looking for help before he died.

* 58. Hugues De La Plaza, 36, found stabbed to death in his apartment, Linden Street, Hayes Valley. (07/02) *Not included in the SFPD's count because the Medical Examiner has not yet released an official ruling on the cause of death

18. John Donaldson, 44, shot to death in car, another man critically injured, in double shooting at Third and Gilman Streets, Hunters Point (02/19)

17. Cadelia Howard, 54, found shot to death in housing complex, 1200 block of Ingalls Street, Hunters Point (02/17)

16. Tony McDougal, 33, shot at Hayes and Baker in the Western addition. He drove to Haight and Fillmore Streets in the Lower Haight, and crashed into a bus shelter at the scene of another shooting, that had occured an hour earlier, and was being investigated by police. He died at SFGH. (02/12)

2007 Justifiable Homicides

4. Marcus Harris, 37, stabbed to death by his girlfriend after he attacked her, 1500 block of La Salle Avenue, Hunters Point (09/15)

3. Rene Alexander Robinson, 45, shot to death by police when he charges them with two large knives, after he stabbed a man to death (Homicide victim #22) and attempted to hijack a car and stab the inhabitants, 7th and Townsend Streets, SoMa (03/07)

1. Mario Vargas, 36, of Daly City, shot to death by police outside pizzeria, 5145 Mission Street, after pointing a gun at officers, the Mission (01/28)

2007 Suspicious Deaths and Unverified Murders

4. A man was reportedly shot in the face at 24th and York Streets, in the Mission, after which he got in his car, drove a block, crashed, and according to witnesses, died. There was no news, and his death is not recorded on the SFPD's crime maps. Did he not actually die? Did he die from the accident, and not the bullet? (mid-July)

3. Edgar Garcia Torres, 22, killed when a gang member and convicted felon running from police slammed into his car, Third and Quesada Streets, Hunters Point. This was ruled vehicular manslaughter, but another death under almost identical circumstances (homicide #32), was considered a murder. Not sure what the reasoning is. (04/18)

2. Joshua Glasser, 26, found naked, handcuffed, and suffocated, with a plastic bag around his head, in a ransacked apartment, 1900 page street, the Haight. Heard that this was considered a homicide, but later heard it was considered as "suspicious." (02/19)

1. Homeless woman reportedly shot to death, 401 Haight Street, Lower Haight. There was no news story, so it is unsure if the victim died (mid-January)